Jagoba Arrasate returns to Osasuna after his promotion and Europe era

Jagoba Arrasate returns to the Osasuna bench two years after ending a six-season spell at El Sadar. As Mundo Deportivo notes, the Basque coach delivered promotion back to LaLiga, established the club among the top flight, and led it to a Copa del Rey final and European football.

From promotion to momentum

Arrasate arrived in the summer of 2018 with Osasuna in Segunda División. In his first season, he won promotion to LaLiga as champions with 87 points. Over the next five campaigns, the team stayed clear of the relegation spots every year, even finishing tenth in 2019-20 and 2021-22.

Copa glory and a Europe return

The peak came in 2022-23: Osasuna reached the Copa del Rey final after knocking out Sevilla and Athletic Club, before losing 2-1 to Real Madrid at La Cartuja. That same season brought Europe back—after finishing seventh with 53 points—earning a place in the Conference League; the run stopped at the group phase access stage due to Club Brugge. The successes also meant Osasuna played their first-ever Spanish Super Cup, losing 2-0 to FC Barcelona in the semi-finals.

Arrasate left in 2024 after 256 matches. Now, with his return, the challenge is to bring back the same sensations from that spell.